Playing With Fire
by TiaTodd
Summary: Valentine's Day one-shot, second in a V-Day trilogy. Sorry, I just realized I spelled "Roxane" incorrectly throughout the whole thing. Please overlook it!


**Welcome to the second Valentine's Day one-shot in my V-Day trilogy! The first is a Harry Potter one-shot, please check that out if you haven't. For those of you expecting a Harry Potter fanfic from me, keep in mind that this is a one-shotand I don't know when I'll post the actual story(ies) I'm working on. Keep patient, enjoy Valentine's Day or pelt lovers jealously with the box of candy hearts your parents gave you. Please enjoy!**

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"Alright, did you do what I told you?" Dustfinger whispered to a cluster of five blue fairies, which were flitting around a nearby tree. They each nodded, and Dustfinger rummaged through his backpack, pulling out a piece of something that looked like honeycomb. "Okay, take some fire elf honey. Trust me," he added, as three of the five gave him an apprehensive look.

When each had taken a small sample, faces a bit red from the heat of it, Dustfinger waved them behind the tree and put a finger to his lips. "Wait for my signal. And you two," he whispered a bit more harshly at Gwin and Jink, who were fighting and causing a lot of noise in a pile of pine needles, "quit it! You'll wake her up."

He turned to face the house, and his heart felt as free-spirited as untamed flames.

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Roxanne's eyes opened, first to nothing, then to a silhouette of a small table. A small sliver of blue moonlight let just enough in to flood the place in light. Her eyes adjusted and her senses sharpened, and she felt a strong, rough hand on the bare skin of her forearm. She sighed and let her body relax, closing her eyes again.

Just as she did, a warm breath tickled her ear. "I've got something to show you, love."

A smile insisted on breaking over her face, a relief to her cheeks. "Can it wait?" Her limbs were still sore from tending new and particularly persnickety herbs, which, when used correctly, could cure someone of blindness.

Dustfinger chuckled. "It's like you don't know me. Look, I'll show you, and you can get right back to sleep. Is that a deal?"

He had gotten up now, and Roxanne felt a patch of cold where he had just lain. She got up and stumbled into his arms, one foot asleep. He smiled crookedly, leading her outside their humble house. Once he reached a halfway point across the yard, he motioned for her to stop, and jogged up to the fence. Once there, his back to Roxanne, he whispered fire words to his fingers, and began writing in the air.

_On the way to grey  
I could hardly wait  
To see you again  
To feel your hands  
Covering me  
Till the storm is done  
What seemed to be the end  
Was not the end at all_

_Yesterday's gone  
Tomorrow's here  
Can't turn back now  
I won't quit  
I still love you  
I swear,  
I always will_

Roxanne gaped in amazement as the fiery letters burned into the darkness. Dustfinger made a hand signal to a tree, and soon faming vines surrounded the words. He turned and walked back to her, beaming as his arms encircled her. As they admired the burning writing, small, bright daisies sprung up around them and around the yard, some in clusters shaped like hearts.

"How…"

"Fairies," he whispered into her ear, burying his face in her ebony hair. "It wasn't easy, but they agreed to help. They're fantastic with detail."

"I mean, how did you learn how to write? And what does that say?"

Dustfinger pulled back and looked at her, choosing his words carefully. "Silvertongue's wife…she was mute for awhile, and could only communicate to me with signs and notes. I sort of…learned that way. As to what it says…well, it's a song."

"Sing it to me," she said, resting her head on his chest as she stared at the words. "I know you don't like to…but sing it to me, please."

"Well…" It was true, he couldn't expect her to sing it if she didn't even know how. "Alright, then."

Roxanne could feel the vibrations in Dustfinger's chest as his tired voice sang the slow melody once through. He sang it a second time, and this time her pure voice chimed in, until she was singing it alone. The letters and flowers were fading out now.

"It's beautiful! All of it." She bestowed upon him a kiss, and the words flared up again for a brief second. "I don't think I could match such a gift…"

"Why would you match it? It's my gift _back_ to you."

She looked puzzled, but before she could say anything else his lips were on hers. The fiery song blazed again, though the flames the fairies had brought died away as they departed.

Roxanne lead Dustfinger back inside, but the flames didn't die down. They smoldered on until morning light.

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Inkheart or any of the characters. The lyrics mentioned in this story are from "The Secret" by Emery, which I do not own either.**


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